Adelaide’s Taylor Walker has been referred to as many issues on the journey to his 250th AFL sport.
Racist. Record-breaker. Bogan. Captain.
He says his proudest second is being referred to as dad.
“My kids are beautiful little human beings,” the father-of-three instructed reporters on Wednesday.
“And being able to see them grow over the last three and a half years has been amazing.
“As a sportsperson, you grow to be very egocentric and tunnelled in to assume it is about me.
“But it has given me a great understanding and perspective … you can still perform when there’s change and you have got to be able to be adaptable to what’s thrown at you.”
Walker, who performs sport 250 towards West Coast on Saturday, has had extra thrown at him than most.
Such as being branded racist when suspended for six matches for a racial slur when a spectator at a state league sport in July 2021.
Walker conceded he might by no means win whole belief again from the Indigenous group.
“To be honest, football was never really my priority when that occurred,” he stated.
“And it hasn’t really been a priority in terms of being able to earn the trust or respect back from all the communities and Indigenous boys within the football club.
“It’s simply an ongoing factor. I do not assume I most likely will ever earn that 100 per cent belief again.
“But it’s something that I will continue to chip away at every single day, continue just to make myself learn and grow and understand.
“… I do not actually wish to stand right here and publicly discuss what I’ve been capable of do, I’d somewhat simply put my head down and go to work.”
Walker, labelled a “Broken Hill bogan” by Adelaide’s inaugural coach Graham Cornes, was named captain when Phil Walsh arrived to coach the Crows in late 2014.
“When you have a look at our nation, we’re very fast to kick individuals down,” Walker stated.
“So when somebody places plenty of perception and confidence in you, you do develop as a human.
“And it’s an underestimated trait that we should continue to strive to do, is pump people up and give them belief and confidence.
“And that is definitely one thing that he did when he instructed me he wished me to be skipper.”
Walsh, after coaching Adelaide for just a dozen games in 2015, was murdered by his son – Cy Walsh was found mentally incompetent, with undiagnosed schizophrenia, when he stabbed his father to death.
“That was one other difficult time for the footy membership which we have been capable of navigate our manner by,” Walker said.
The 33-year-old will in the next fortnight open talks with the Crows about another contract for next season.
“I simply love footy. I simply wish to maintain enjoying footy for so long as I can,” said the club’s all-time leading scorer with 564 goals.
“The manner I’ve checked out it’s it might doubtlessly be my final milestone, I do not know when I’m going to complete.
“It’s a roller coaster for every sportsperson, whether it be AFL, tennis, golf, whatever it is.
“It’s not a easy journey. So it makes your character, it creates challenges and it makes you very resilient.
“That’s something that I think has held me a good stead to be able to stand on the moment on the eve of 250 games.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
